In recognition of Namibia’s tremendous conservation efforts, which are based around the synergy between state protected land and Namibia’s communal conservancies, covering 20% of the land area, these conservancies give rights to rural people over wildlife and tourism, and encourage the conservation of wildlife, WWF presented President Pohamba, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and all of Namibia’s communal conservancies with the prestigious Gift to the Earth Award in 2013.

The WWF Award is a public celebration of a conservation action which demonstrates environmental leadership and is a globally significant contribution to the protection of the living world. In recognizing an action as a Gift to the Earth, WWF is highlighting both the environmental leadership and the inspiring conservation achievement contributing to the protection of the living world.

In a speech in their honour, Chief Anyaoku, who presented the award on behalf of WWF, thanked the community game guards, saying that thanks to them poaching of wildlife has become socially unacceptable, and that the achievements of Namibia’s conservancies do not just benefit Namibia, but the whole of humanity.